DAC Collection Artist Information

Narcisse Virgile Diaz de la Peña
French (1808 - 1876)

French painter and printmaker

Brief biography, in most instances from the Union List of Artist Names® Online:
Born of Spanish parents, Diaz spent much of his early life studying to be a porcelain painter, and later a painter of historical scenes. Eventually, he visited the Forest of Fontainebleau, and became influenced by Théodore Rousseau and the Barbizon School. Diaz's landscapes, although naturalistic, retained classical influences yet contained brilliant colors, and these as well as his mythic paintings were exhibited at the Salons in the 1830s. In the 1850s, Diaz often painted gypsies in picturesque settings with shimmering light. His work was influential on the Impressionists, particularly Monet and Renoir.

Artist ID number in the Union List of Artist Names®:ULAN 500008285.The ULAN link above leads to a cataloging authority record at the Getty Research Institute.

Information here was last updated on 12/6/2018. Some is from older cataloging. Most objects acquired through 12/6/2018 are represented; cataloging is in process for some objects. We continue to add and update content. Please contact the DAC Registrar of Collections to suggest corrections with citations. Captions embedded in DAC images have basic information as of the time the digital image was made; details and updates appear on object pages.